How do stories like these get buried in the news cycle? This story provides hope that the moderate elements of Islam have a louder voice than the media sometimes portrays. Tell me your thoughts.
http://www.gadsdentimes.com/article/20090103/ZNYT03/901033014?Title=Preaching_Moderate_Islam_and_Becoming_a_TV_Star_for_Youths
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I think this has to do with Sunstein's idea of the "media cocoon." Since 9/11, all we've heard in the news and from Washington has been "radical Islam," "Islamofascism," "Islamic fundamentalists" and it's made people think that, if there is any other kind of Islam, it's a small minority. The book "Freakonomics" made this point too, showing that when people are surveyed about the actual crime levels in the area where they live, they give different answers based on how much TV they watch and how much news coverage/plots of TV dramas they see. If they watch more news, they tend to think crime is higher because it's the kind of shocking thing that usually gets reported.
ReplyDeleteThis article was refreshing to read. This description of a more moderate Islam falls in a completely different category from that of the more extreme Islam that saturates most media coverage. The stories about extremists have created such a stereotype of any practicing Muslim, that most news-followers probably feel some type of hesitation about the religion . The small number of Muslims I know personally follow this more moderate way of life and are still very (peacefully) vocal about their dedication to their faith. Here is another interesting article that helps to define the more moderate Islam that most Americans hope will find a stronger voice in the media...
ReplyDeletehttp://www.usnews.com/blogs/faith-matters/2008/4/2/finding-the-voices-of-moderate-islam.html